Pineapple - The one thing you need for your stomach

Ah...pineapple. The fruit that makes you wonder about tropical countries. The fruit that reminds you of Hawaii. But besides all that, it is a fruit that is good to your stomach. One thing that we should know about pineapple, it will only ripens properly on plant. If it is harvested too early, it will be very acidic and poor in nutrients. So how do we know that it is ripe. If it is ripe:
- The pulp yields on finger pressure.
- Intense aroma
- Leaves are easily removed. 


- Vitamins & minerals - It is rich in Vitamin C (we all know that), B1 and B6. It contains manganese, copper, potassium, magnesium and iron.
- Citric acid and malic acid - Potentiate the action of Vitamin C.
- Bromelin - It is a protein digesting enzyme, capable of breaking down proteins and releasing amino acids. Thus it facilitates protein digestion in the gut. It is used in food industry as meat tenderizer.
- It's consumption is specifically indicated for hypochlorhydria and gastric ptosis caused by gastric atonia (although I'm not sure how).
- Obesity - Pineapple or fresh pineapple juice consume before meals reduces appetite.
- Sterility - It is one of the richest foods in manganese, which is needed in the formation of reproductive cells both in male and female. It is therefore recommended in those suffered from sterility due to insufficient production of germinal cells.
- Stomach cancer - Pineapple is a powerful inhibitor of the formation of nitrosamines, a substance which causes stomach cancer. Vitamin C impedes the formation of nitrosamines, but pineapple has been shown to be much more effective. Thus it will reduce the risk of stomach cancer. Those already has stomach will benefit in preventing recurrence.

Caution: Pineapple is not recommended in those with active phase of gastroduodenal ulcer because of its high acid content.


*Informations above are for reference only, any person with any medical problems please consult with your medical doctor.

Source: Encyclopedia of foods and their healing powers.

Mango - nourishes the skin and protects the arteries

Mango is a common fruit in here in Asia. We encountered it almost everyday. We know it's a fruit with Vitamin C. But it has other nutrients which we may not know.

Provitamin A - It is the fresh fruit with the greatest Vitamin A content.
Carotenoids - Contains 16 types of carotenoids, of which the most abundant is the beta-carotenoid.
Vitamins - It's a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin E and group B Vitamins.
Minerals - Potassium is the most notable, together with abundant soluble fibers, organic acid and tannins.

Skin conditions - Lack of Vitamin A causes dryness and scaling and mango helps with skin hydration and tone. It is recommended in cases of eczema, dermatosis and prevention of premature skin aging.
Retinal conditions - Of course the Vitamin A help protects the eye and it is recommended in conditions such as bight blindness, optic nerve atrophy or central retinal artery thrombosis.
Arteriosclerosis - With the combination of Vitamin A, C, E, which are powerful anti-oxidants. It prevents the oxidation of the cholesterol-bearing lipoproteins, reducing the deposition of cholesterol on the arterial wall.
Hypertension - Has diuretic effect. It is rich in potassium and low in sodium, reduces fluid retention.
Diabetes - The positive effect on the cardiovascular system may benefits diabetic patients.

Another fruit that's good for the skin and great for the heart. For girls who want to have good skin, better start eating mangoes.

* Informations above are for reference only, any person with any medical condition please refer to your medical doctor.

Source: Encyclopedia of foods and their healing powers.

How to make soy milk at home

Just in case anyone interested in making their own soy milk at home, below is a recipe for it. It may not necessary be cheaper and more work, but if you have the time and if you're one those that appreciate fresh, home made food, it is definitely worth your while.

Ingredients (for 4 servings):
1. 100g white soybeans
2. 1.5 litres of water.
3. 1 cinnamon stick.

Preparations:
1. wash and soak soybeans overnight.
2. Grind soybeans with blender, adding the 1.5 litres of water.
3. Boil the water with soybeans and cinnamon for 30 minutes.
4. Stir frequently and watch out to avoid spilling.
5. Sieve through cheese cloth to separate the fluid and the residues.
6. Serve cold or hot.

Sounds easy? I am going to give it a try, already bought my soybeans :)

Source: Encyclopedia of foods and their healing powers.

Cucumber - Cleanses and beautifies the skin

We all know cucumber is good for you. It's refreshing and it's crunchy. It goes well with salad. So what other benefits do cucumber possess? Well, let's have a look.

It is the most water-riched food with extremely low calories. It does not have high protein or vitamins content but the benefits resides in their minerals, which are highly alkaline. Cucumber contains high potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron as well as sulfur.

Cucumber is:

- Alkalizer - neutralizes excess acidic waste in the body.
- Depurant - Facilitates waste elimination, also helps with uric acid elimination. It is also a diuretic and laxative.
- Skin health - It hydrates the skin and provide sulfur needed for healthy skin cells, nails and hair. It "cleanses" the blood stream. Recommended for those with eczema, dermatosis and psoriasis. Can be applied directly to skin too for beauty treatment.
- Obesity and diabetics - because it is low in calories and produces feeling of satiety, it is a good food source for those trying to loose weight and diabetics.

Cucumber is somewhat indigestible, thus it needs to be well chewed and may not be well tolerated by those experiencing dyspepsia or "frail stomach".

*Informations above are for reference only, any one with any medical problems please refer to your medical doctor.

Source: Encyclopedia of foods and their healing powers.

Soy - The super-legume

Although I know that soy is good for the body but I was still amazed at how fantastic soy can be when I read about it. Apparently there is no such word as "hot flushes" in Japanese language because Japanese females do not experience such symptom due to the regular intake of soy products. It is an Asian food, daily intake by the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans. Western countries do not consume much of soy product.

- Protein - Now this is an amazing facts. It contains, get ready for this, more protein per 100g than meat, approximately 36.5g/100g (more than beef which stands at 26g/100g), and it contains all the amino acids, including methionine (adequate amount to meet adult needs but not enough for nursing infants). Soy proteins are digested and absorbed as easily as cow's milk.

- Fats - Contains primarily unsaturated fatty acids with small amount of saturated fatty acids.

- Carbohydrates - Contains a variety of oligosaccharides, saccharose and small amount of starch. Due to small amount of starch, it is well tolerated in diabetics.

- Vitamins - Contains all the B-group vitamins except B12. Also poor in vitamin C and provitamin A.

- Minerals - Contains 5 times more iron than meat product at 15.7g/100g (beef - 2.6g/100g). Although it is non-heme iron, absorption is easily facilitated with Vitamin C from fruits and vegetables. Also rich in phosphorus, magnesium and potassium but no sodium, thus does not cause fluid retention and suitable for people with cardiovascular disease.

- Fiber - Contains significant amount of soluble fiber for regularity of bowel movement.

- Non-nutritive substances - Isoflavones. One of them is phytoestrogen, which has the same effect of human oestrogen but without its undesirable effects. Increases bone mineralization, arteriosclerosis protection and a sense of well being. At the same time, phytoestrogen impedes the permanent stimulation of breast and uterine cells by human oestrogen, which actually reduces the risk of breast cancer. They are also powerful anti-oxidants. The most important isoflavones are genistein (showed to stop in vitro development of cancerous breast cells).

- Phytosterols - Similar to cholesterol and their effect is to block absorption of cholesterol and they also inhibit development of cancer cells. The most abundant is beta-sitosterol.

- Protease inhibitors - They are toxic and anti-nutritive in raw soy but processing (soaking, cooking, fermenting, sprouting and industrial processing) soy reduced the concentration a great deal. Have valuable anticarcinogenic effect.

- Phytic acid - This compound interferes with iron absorption but it is capable of neutralizing carcinogen.

- Saponins - Inhibits growth of cancerous cells. Also reduces cholesterol level.

Phytoestrogen also has beneficial effect in men by lowering risk of prostate cancer, risk of heart attack and lower cholesterol level.


Soy proteins reduces urinary loss of calcium and increase bone mineralization. It do not interfere with kidney function, thus can be substituted for meat protein in those with kidney failure.
Of course it is a substitute for nursing infant who cannot tolerate cow's milk, but must remember to buy those enriched with methionine.

Soy cannot be eaten raw because Proteases Inhibitors, phytic acid and saponins are toxic and anti-nutritive when soy is eaten raw, it must always be submitted to processing before consumption, which cause this anti-nutritive factors disappear partially or completely.

Purine in soy is transformed to uric acid in the body, thus those with gout and uric acid kidney stones should be careful.

Soy really is a super legume considering all the health benefits provided by such a small and unassuming bean. From now, I should eat more tofu and drink more soy milk.

*Above informations are for reference only, any person with any medical problems please consult with your medical doctor.

Source: Encyclopedia of foods and their healing powers.

Chickpea - A complete meal

We are all familiar with this legume, but I doubt that we know much about it. Chickpea eaten with rice or other grains make a complete meal with all the amino acids (essential and non-essential). So it is not true that you need to eat meat in order to absorb essential amino acids.

It is a good source of energy, giving you 364kcal/100g. It contains all the vitamins in various amount except Vitamin B12.

- Proteins - Amount is equal or superior to meat and egg (19.3g/100g of raw edible portion). Contains all the amino acids except methionine (true for all legumes), but it can be easily supplemented with rice or other types of grains.
- Carbohydrate - It is a good source of carbohydrate with starch pre-dominant. It is released slowly in the intestine, thus low glycaemic index but must be well chewed.
- Fat - Contains 6.04% of fat but these fats are mono- & polyunsaturated. Together with its high fiber content, helps reduce cholesterol and prevent arteriosclerosis, reducing risk of heart attack.
- Vitamins - Abundant in group B vitamins except vitamin B12. Also rich in folate. Rich in iron (6.24g/100g, which 3 times more than meat). Contains phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and zinc. Because of its high Vitamin Bs, it helps to reduce nervousness, irritability and lack of concentration. It is recommended for those suffering from stress or depression. The high protein, folate, mineral and iron content is recommended for pregnant women. 

So it is a myth that eating plant based food does not give you enough energy, protein or iron. It actually contains amount that is comparable to meat product minus the risk of cardiovascular disease and carcinogenic properties of meat product.

* Informations above are for reference purposes only, any person with any medical problems with consult with your medical doctor.

Source: Encyclopedia of foods and their healing powers.

Onion

I bet most people never give onion a second thought. We all know it's just another recipe ingredient to make our food smells nice, but again it has a lot healing powers which we do not realize.
It does not have a lot of important nutritive content, but it is rich in non-nutritive substances. It contains:

- Essential oil
- Flavonoids
- Enzymes eg. oxidase and diastase
- Glycoquine - reduces blood sugar level and good diabetics.
- Vegetable fiber - lipid lowering and anti-diabetic.

Onion has a lot medicinal properties:

- Repiratory - Onions are mucolytic, expectorant and antibiotic against gram-positive bacteria. Apparently respiratory infections from sinusitis to pneumonia improve with onion consumption.
- Bronchial asthma - Thiosulfinate component capable of stopping bronchial allergic reaction. It also acts on the respiratory center, producing bronchodilation.
- Arteriosclerosis & coronary heart disease and triglycerides - prevent arteriosclerosis and thrombosis and improve blood circulation. Consuming onion extract reduces triglycerides. Onion also increases HDL level.
- Kidney disorders - has diuretic effect and facilitate waste elimination by alkalizing effect.
- Diabetes - reduces blood glucose level.
- Liver disorder - stimulate detoxifying function of the liver.
- Cancer - study done in China, sponsored by National Cancer Institute of United States found that those who consume more onion and garlic has lower risk of stomach cancer.

Convince of the beneficial effect of onion? If not please search online for further information. Anyway, we still have to eat our daily meals, so what's the harm in eating onions?

* Above informations are for reference only, any person with any medical problem please refer to your medical doctor.

Source: Encyclopedia of foods and their healing powers.